Devil in the Details
by KinkyWings
Summary: Izzy doesn't expect her one-time hook up in LA to significantly impact her life. She certainly doesn't expect that hook up to be the Devil himself, and she sure as hell doesn't expect to end up pregnant.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello loves! Wild story idea that came to me out of the blue, borne of my love for both Shadowhunters and Lucifer! Lemme know if you love it, hate it, should I continue it? XOXOX

* * *

Devil in the Details

Isabelle Lightwood woke up to sun streaming through a window, warming her from head to toe.

She rarely had time to indulge in such a feeling, luxuriating in the slow stretch of her body as she twisted out of the black silk sheets of the ridiculous California king bed in which she found herself lying. The rest of her surroundings were just as opulent: the stone walls and floors and glass wall of what had to be a penthouse apartment screaming wealth. Craning her head around the corner, she could see a bathroom just as big as the bedroom, and from down the step into a living space that could rival the size of the main hall in the Institute.

Whoever she had hooked up with last night must have been pretty important to live in a place like this.

It wasn't every day that Shadowhunters from New York were dispatched to Los Angeles. The Institute there was twice the size and could usually handle themselves. However, this was a difficult mission, the details of which not even Izzy bothered memorizing (all missions seemed to run together after a while, and she trusted her brother to make the right calls). Alec had sent a small group of just she, Jace, and Clary to go help their neighbors across the coast.

After the demons had been slayed and the mission completed, the three of them decided to have a little fun. Shadowhunters were not known for letting loose, and the inhabitants of the LA Institute were surprisingly uptight, even for Shadowhunter standards. So, when Izzy asked a couple local mundanes for the best place to have a good time, she toted her brother and his girlfriend across town to a club called Lux.

One look at Izzy's ensemble for the night and the bouncer let the three of them jump the line right into the thick of the action. Izzy remembered the throngs of people, the heavy beat of the music, the dance floor with the baby grand piano in the corner. Izzy remembered her first, second, and fourth shot of vodka. After that, everything got a little...fuzzy.

She might have had one too many drinks. She might have grinded on one too many strangers. She might have made out with Clary while Jace watched, dazed and horny. Jace and Clary might have ditched her soon after that to go have some fun of their own.

That's when memories of _him_ came into play.

Him. Her hook up, the inhabitant of this ridiculously fancy apartment, the owner of the club down below. Tall, dark, and handsome with a magnetic smile and enough sex appeal to tempt a saint. She knew exactly what she was doing, beckoning him onto the dance floor and pulling him close, and he knew exactly what he was doing when he touched her in all the right places.

By the Angel, the sex was _fantastic_. His body was a sin, perfectly carved and sculpted underneath her fingers and tongue. She had glamoured her runes (mundanes tended to freak out when they saw them), but whenever he happened to touch them, electricity broke out across her skin, all her nerves buzzing and craving more. Izzy thought she had moves, but the things that he did, the tricks he knew that could get her from zero to a hundred instantly...there were no words adequate enough to describe. Izzy fell asleep exhausted but in the best way.

She usually wasn't the kind to spend the night, but after the night she'd had, Izzy needed the rest. Not only from the mind-blowing sex, but from the physical strain of slaying demons. A good night's sleep on the softest mattress she had ever lied on under the silkiest sheets she'd ever touched did just the trick.

Izzy didn't get his name, but that was alright. It wasn't like she was going to see him again, and he didn't seem the type to hang on to hook ups the morning after if his absence was anything to go by. They had both had their fun, and now it was over.

LA was amazing, but it was time to go home.

Getting up, Izzy made her way into the bathroom. The shower was just as luxurious as the bed, the water pressure perfect (not the harsh hail of rain that poured from the Institute's shower heads) and warm, the towels downy and soft. She moisturized her skin with some fancy cream she found on the counter, and brushed her teeth with one of the brushes she found under the sink. A part of Izzy was tempted to raid the closet; judging by the quality of suit she had pulled from her hook up's body the night before, he was bound to have some fancy threads. However, she picked her clothes from off the floor, following the trail into the living area where she recovered her heels and underwear.

Izzy was not shy. She had no problem dropping her towel right then and there and get dressed in front of the glass. She was high up enough that there was no one to spy on her anyway. Her clothes felt slightly grimy, her skirt a little too tight with dried sweat, but she had dealt with worse. She buckled her bra, threw over her bustier, and started a search for her phone.

It was sitting on the bar next to two half-finished glasses of whisky, the one that was hers still sporting a ring of red lipstick. A few cigarette butts sat in an ashtray that were definitely not there the night before. That confirmed her theory about her hook up's lack of commitment. He had clearly been up before Izzy but left a sleeping stranger alone in his apartment. So either he was crazy, or he was rich enough not to care if she robbed him blind. Judging on her surroundings, Izzy was inclined to think the latter.

_Mundanes_, Izzy scoffed as she pressed her home screen.

There were a couple texts from Alec asking about how the mission went, one from Clary from last night that made absolutely zero sense - followed up by an apology text from an hour ago, and two missed calls from Jace around the same time.

Izzy clicked on Jace's contact and the phone picked up on the first ring.

"Hey, where are you?" came Jace's concerned voice, though there was still that lingering hint of hangover.

"Safe. I never left the club last night. You?"

"At a hotel with Clary."

"Oooo, care to elaborate?" Izzy asked, wearing a shit eating grin that Jace could probably hear through the line.

"Only if you go first," Jace shot back, both of them familiar with this little game. It happened every time they went out together, as both of them were prone to bad decisions. Now, it was only Izzy making the bad decisions.

"We can swap stories after we get back and debrief with Alec."

"Deal," Jace agreed, and there was rustling on his end that was probably him and Clary clearing out of whatever hotel room they'd managed to snag. "Meet you outside the LA Institute in twenty."

"See you soon."

Izzy hung up, strapped on her heels, and surveyed the apartment one last time to make sure she didn't leave anything important behind. She had her whip wrapped around her wrist, her stele in her pocket, and the Lightwood pendant around her neck. All other things were replaceable. Tall, dark, and handsome could keep them as mementos.

She knew last night would not be one she would soon forget.

...

Downtown, Lucifer pulled his 1962 black corvette over and turned off the engine, the Detective wasting no time jumping from her seat and onto the pavement. Honestly, had she no respect for scuffing the leather?

Still, Lucifer locked the corvette behind him and trailed after her. There was once a time he would have flayed anyone who dared insinuate that he resembled a puppy nipping after his master's heels, but he had slowly grown to accept this part in his dynamic with the Detective. The truth was, he was glad to stand in her shadow, if only because he could bask in it. Everything about the Detective was infuriating and complicated and...wonderful. He did not understand it, but sure enough, his universe had shifted to revolve around Chloe Decker.

"So, what kind of activities do you have planned for us today?" Lucifer asked, curious as to what was on the agenda. "Hopefully a good murder."

"Stakeout," Chloe shot down his excitement at seeing a dead body, her gaze fixed down the alley. "There's been a lot of suspicious activity around this area lately. We need to get a layout of it first, check for any escape routes and other ways someone could sneak their way in and out of here."

"And what exactly, Detective, are you hoping to catch?"

"I don't know yet...but something is going on, and I'm going to figure out what."

Normally, that line wouldn't faze Lucifer. He would have been content to smile and recline himself to the background while admiring the Detective doing all the work. However, in his reclining, Lucifer made the mistake of looking up and truly taking in his surroundings.

"Oh my," Lucifer gasped under his breath. This situation had suddenly gone from boring snooze-fest to a living nightmare. "Detective, I really don't think this area is where you should be looking."

"And why is that?"

_Well, the giant Gothic cathedral inhabited by the cantankerous progeny of my most annoying little brother, who are not exactly Devil-friendly, is not the best place for a mortal to go waving around accusations of murder, _was not an acceptable answer.

Just as he was formulating a comeback, the words died on his lips. If it were possible, the nightmare got worse.

Because there she was, the girl from last night, the one he had fantastic sex with until they were both unable to formulate sentences. Quite honestly, the best sex he'd had in a very long time. Except now, she was covered in tattoos that Lucifer distinctly recognized as runes, those pesky gifts given from Raziel to his followers. From where he stood, Lucifer was shielded from her line of sight, which was the only good part of this situation. She congregated on the front steps with two of her fellow Nephilim before disappearing into the church.

His one night stand was a Shadowhunter.

_Bloody hell. _


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello loves! So glad that there was such a positive response to the first chapter! This story is more heavily Izzy-focused than Lucifer-focused, so we are going to be following her for the majority of the time. But don't worry, Lucifer will be coming back! I'm not entirely sure if in canon mundanes and Shadowhunters can reproduce, but for the sake of this story, they cannot. That is my explanation as to why Izzy was so blatantly ignoring safe sex practices and not using protection while sleeping with a total stranger. Obviously, for the sake of this story, angels - even the fallen ones - and Shadowhunters are able to reproduce.

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Devil in the Details

"Izzy, you ready? We were supposed to debrief with Alec five minutes ago."

_Fuck_, Izzy cursed. There was no way she could go on a mission like this. She could barely think straight her head was pounding so hard.

It had not been this bad in the beginning. This incessant illness that felt like she had a stampede rolling through her stomach was not new. It had started a week or two ago with an upset stomach that progressed rapidly into full-fledged sick. Izzy had never been this sick before in her life, and she could have gone her whole life without knowing it.

Maybe she had caught something from LA? But that had been weeks ago, and besides, it wasn't like Shadowhunters could catch mundane illnesses.

In the beginning, she had tried using her runes to fix things. A couple of iratzes here, a few there, but they didn't work. Not that they were useless, but for some reason, she could not activate her runes. Every time she ran her stele over them, or tried to draw one, it felt like someone had leeched the life from her bones. That, and for some strange reason, the sensation would burn, and Izzy had long since been numb to the burn of carving runes. She must have been more exhausted than she thought.

Exhausted and forced to suffer through this the mundane way, aka the hard way.

"Go on without me," Izzy managed to call, cringing at how weak her voice was. It took all her energy not to projectile vomit between words.

The knob jiggled, and Izzy hung her head. Couldn't she just be left alone?

"Come on Iz, let me in. You're scaring me."

Izzy didn't have enough energy to even be mad when an unlock rune burned across her door, the wood creaking open to reveal a very worried Clary. One look was all it took for the red head to understand what was going on. Meanwhile, Izzy kept cursing herself. She had tried so hard to keep this illness to herself, had done everything she could. But, she supposed she was bound to get found out at some point.

"I thought Shadowhunters didn't get sick?"

"We don't. Not usually."

Clary knelt down in front of Izzy and pushed her dark hair carefully out of her face. Clary's hands were cool and smooth, unlike the sweaty palms Izzy had grown used to having. It was nice, Izzy thought, to have someone take care of her. She could get used to this.

"You're not, you know, craving anything?" Clary prodded gently, but Izzy was too out of her mind to pick up on her meaning. "I don't know if you've been spending a lot of time with Simon or Raphael..."

Oh. That. Any other time and Izzy would have been offended, but if she were in Clary's shoes, Izzy would have probably thought the same thing. She had to look a complete mess: sweaty hair, shaking, and puking her guts out. A perfect picture of Yin Fen addiction.

"No, nothing like that," Izzy assured, patting Clary's hand gently. "I must have just run into something nasty. Or maybe it was something I ate."

"I knew the meatloaf last night looked a little grey," Clary joked, more for Izzy's sake than her own. But they had both eaten the same food, and only one of them was sick. Still, it was the only explanation Izzy could think of as to why she felt like absolute shit. Days upon days of food poisoning...completely logical...

"Come on, let's get you in bed," Clary said after a moment, pulling Izzy to her side and helping her back under the covers. The Institute's bed was too firm, not meant for reclining and relaxing, and Izzy found herself missing a large California king with black silk sheets. Odd - she hadn't thought about that night since she came back from LA, but the memory of that plush mattress was enough to keep her back from aching under the rock that was her own.

"I'll let Alec know you're tapping out of this one."

"Thanks Clary," Izzy said weakly, already drifting off. "Don't tell Alec about this, please. I'll be fine in the morning."

"I'll try, but you know how he gets," Clary replied with a smile, and Izzy huffed. She loved her brother, but his overprotective nature could be a bit overwhelming. "Feel better."

Izzy was asleep by the time Clary shut the door.

... _ ...

Izzy did not feel better in the morning.

In fact, she felt worse. The mornings were always the worst. The nausea rolled off of her in waves, and she expelled more contents of her stomach than she thought she had. It was impressive, how much she could throw up when she hadn't fed herself all day. She would have thought she would feel better once the sickness had passed, but no. The dizzying nausea and the bone-deep tiredness remained. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed and be miserable on her own, but people would notice. Shadowhunters had already started to notice her absence from yesterday. If she missed any more days to this 'illness', they would start to talk, and one thing you never wanted was to be the topic of conversation.

It took every fiber in Izzy's being to get ready. She forced herself to get dressed, to put on her makeup, to brush her rat's nest of hair and brush her teeth to get rid of all the signs of sick. There were circles under her eyes so dark that even foundation couldn't cover them, but some things Izzy had to let go. It was easy enough to pass that off as a bad night's sleep than nearly two days of violent illness.

Once she was satisfied that she looked a fraction of her normal self, Izzy marched her way into Alec's office where she knew that at this time of day everyone would be congregated.

"Hey, what did I miss?"

"Izzy, good of you to join us," Alec said, eyeing her up and down. Izzy knew that Alec meant nothing malicious behind that, but he never had a good poker face. She could tell he was assessing her for damage, trying to figure out what was wrong without asking. "We were just debriefing about yesterday's mission."

"Well, don't let me stop you."

There was a moment where everyone looked at Izzy and Alec and held their breath. Izzy was waiting for Alec to say something - he always said _something_ \- but thankfully he let it go, waving his hand for Jace to continue.

"Demons have become more active in the recent week. We keep finding outcroppings of them, and not the usual suspects either," Jace said, pointing to the red blinking spots on the map behind him. "They've been moving, creeping further into the city. It's almost like they're searching for something."

"The ones we fought last night were unlike any demons I have seen before," Clary commented. She looked shaken, her green eyes wide and fearful. "They were smart and fast, like they saw us coming. And they could speak...they said such terrible things. It took everything we had to fight them off. Whatever they're looking for can't be good."

"Could you describe these demons?"

Clary's eyes widened a fraction and she shook her head. "It all happened so fast...I don't think I even remember what they looked like."

Jace's arm came to wrap around Clary, holding her close to his side in comfort. Alec's lips pursed in a thin line as he considered this information.

"We'll up the perimeter, put more people on patrol, instate a curfew. No one should go out alone, not until we have this whole demon situation sorted," Alec decided, using his no-nonsense tone. It was so easy for him to slip into the role of leader, to forego emotion and let his brain take the lead. Izzy always admired him for that, even when she was irked at him.

The group all nodded their heads, agreeing with the new protocol. It was terrifying to think that there were demons - not even greater demons - out there with advanced intelligence. Clary was right: whatever they wanted could not be good.

Jace and Clary left the room, probably to go cuddle or something ridiculously cute that Jace would vehemently deny if asked. That left Izzy face to face with a very concerned Alec. His hazel eyes, narrowed beneath thick brows, spoke everything his mouth didn't.

"I'm fine, big brother," Izzy asserted before Alec could get a word out, crossing her arms over her chest. Even with her chest puffed up and her highest heels on, Izzy stood nearly a foot shorter than Alec. It made establishing her dominance hard, but Alec always was a softie at heart. She watched, pleased, as he let out a sigh and his no-nonsense self gave into her will.

"Okay, if you say so."

"I do say so," Izzy repeated, but kinder this time. She smiled at Alec and sat at the edge of his desk, peering across at his schedule. "Put me down for a couple of those patrols while your at it. I want to help."

"Are you sure? As weapons master you'll have your work cut out for you here."

"I'm sure. Just let me know when and where and I'll be there."

Alec shot her one last glance before penciling her in on the schedule. Izzy felt a surge of victory come over her...along with a surge of fatigue. It was almost as strong as the surges of sickness. She tamped down her internal panic and the voice inside her roared _not now!_ to the rest of her internal organs.

When Izzy looked back up, she found Alec looking at her curiously. Shit.

"You know you can talk to me if there is something going on."

"I know," Izzy said, her smile gentle and the tiniest bit sad. She hoped Alec didn't pick up on that part. This conversation had been going so well. She hopped off of his desk and sauntered to the door. Before she left, she called over her shoulder, "Love you big brother!"

... _ ...

The night of her first patrol, Izzy's whip was being stubborn.

Her nausea was bearable, the fatigue a new normal, but her staff was the problem. Usually all she had to do was think about her staff and the bracelet around her wrist would uncoil until a cool metal shaft rest in her palm. It was bad enough that her necklace had started to fritz out on her; now, no matter how hard she willed it, her staff remained a serpentine piece of jewelry.

She was about to throw it across the room.

Fine, Izzy thought, frustrated beyond belief. I'll just pick a different weapon.

It wasn't a hardship, really. She had been trained to fight in nearly all the weapons in the armory. It was just that her staff was her favorite; it was what she felt most comfortable with, and after the weeks she had been having, comfort was a must. Now she would be forced to run around with a dagger or some throwing stars or a garrote.

A rack of seraph blades were the closest, so that was the weapon she would use. They weren't her favorite, if only because she preferred something more agile, but a blade would do the job just fine. Plus, it didn't require any kind of shape-shifting.

As soon as her fingers touched the hilt, the blade lit up a bright red.

Not white, not even a soft yellow. Red.

Izzy dropped it as if it had burned her.

All her life, seraph blades had glowed white for her. She had never heard of any Shadowhunter making one turn red. She didn't even know that was possible, or how it was possible, or why it was happening at all. All Izzy knew was that she was terrified.

Just as she was about to touch it again, hoping and praying that was some kind of celestial mistake, a head poked around the corner.

"Ready to go?" Jace asked, completely unaware of what just happened.

Thank the Angel Izzy was the only one to witness that. She had no explanation for it, not a single excuse. And then trying to convince someone not to report her to the Clave. There were plenty of Shadowhunters at the Institute who did not agree with her beliefs, that still judged her, who rooted for her to be deruned for consorting with Meliorn, who condemned her for supporting her brother in his relationship with Magnus - a male Downworlder. To lock her up in Idris for something like a red seraph blade...that would be some of her peers' dream.

However, it almost would have been worse to have someone like Alec or Jace or even Clary witness that atrocity. She didn't want their concern, nor their pity. She was strong. She could handle this on her own.

There was no way she could pick that seraph blade back up. So, she reached for the next available option: a pair of dual knives, much like the ones Clary used except these were meant to be wielded together. They were elegant, they were deadly, and best of all they did not glow.

"Ready when you are," Izzy said with a smirk, trying to inject as much sass as she normally would. She must have hit the mark, because Jace smirked back.

... _ ...

In retrospect, Izzy should have known that things were only going to get worse.

She should not have signed up for patrols, she should not have insisted everything was fine, she should not have left bed. Because winding up in the middle of a dark alley, Clary bleeding out in her arms, and Jace fighting off two of the most terrifying demons Izzy had ever laid eyes on was not what her newly-feeble body had the capacity to take on.

"Do something!" Jace screamed in Izzy's direction, slashing his seraph blade at the smoky figures that had literally come out of nowhere.

He meant do something about Clary, who was paler than usual and gasping in pain. Her right side had been slashed open by devastatingly sharp claws. There was so much blood. So much. Izzy knew that an irtaze would fix this, but the moment she tried to activate her rune, she nearly blacked out. So, she was stuck pressing on the wound, hoping and praying that Jace could take these demons apart before Clary bled out.

The attack had been meant for Izzy. One of the demons had pointed a bony finger in her direction and shrieked,_ kill the girl!_ in a voice as terrible as nails on a chalkboard. Izzy had frozen, her entire body struck in panic, and had Clary not physically knocked Izzy to the ground, she would have lost her head.

It was supposed to be a normal patrol. The demons were not mapped to be this far inside the city, not yet. But there they were, sinister frames blending in with the shadows of the night, making it impossible to tell what was demon and what was concrete or dumpster or mundane.

Izzy felt helpless. Her hands were covered in blood, none of her runes would work, and her heart was beating a million beats per second. She was a useless Shadowhunter. She was going to get them killed.

But she was still a hunter. And she still had deadly aim.

With a final burst of energy, she pulled out her dual knives and threw. She let reflex and years of training take over, the blades flying from her fingertips into the shadows ahead. The demons, who were so focused on cutting down Jace, did not have time to prepare for another attack. The blades lodged in their abdomens, their cruel, beady faces scrunching up in screams as they imploded into fire and ash.

Perhaps she was not useless after all.

Exhausted, Jace fell to his knees and used his remaining energy to heal Clary, drawing iratzes on her skin over and over and over again, only stopping when he saw her skin start to knit itself back together. He was covered in scratches, bruises, and blood of his own. And he was enraged.

"What is wrong with you!" Jace snapped, and Izzy flinched.

He didn't mean it. Of course, he didn't mean it. He was stressed out and worried about Clary, whose breathing was evening out now that the iratzes were working. She would be fine, given they got her back to the Institute soon. Izzy was relieved, the loss of her worry a physical freedom. She fell back against the alley wall and let her head fall between her knees, one worry replacing itself by another.

_What is wrong with me,_ she asked herself, tears stinging at her eyes. She had almost let Clary die. Why? All of these things that had been happening, what did it mean?

Izzy looked up to see Jace looking at her, Clary standing close behind, miraculously healed. All the anger from before had faded, his gold and blue eyes nothing but tired...and worried. He should have been making sure Clary was alright. Instead, he was looking at Izzy like she was the one who needed help. And maybe she did.

"You okay?"

Izzy shook her head, a tiny jerking motion, but it was enough. Jace sighed and reached down, pulling Izzy up from the ground.

Jace held Izzy close to him as they walked back to the Institute, Clary keeping careful watch so that no more demons could sneak up on them, though she too looked like she would drop at any second. Izzy was grateful that her legs were able to hold her upright, that her knocking knees and trembling frame didn't collapse to the ground and refuse to rise. Jace would have picked her up and carried her home if that had happened. That, Izzy knew for a fact. For all his tough exterior, she could sense the worry pouring off of him, could feel the rapid pound of his heart and the fine tremors in his own hands as he clutched to Izzy's shoulder. He was just as scared as she was, but she bet they were for different reasons.

Izzy should have been relieved to see the Institute. She should have felt peace walking up those stone steps and pushing open the large cathedral door.

Instead, as soon as she stepped foot across the threshold, all she heard was the wail of sirens.


	3. Chapter 3

Devil in the Details

Sitting in Alec's office, the alarm still ringing in her ears, Izzy felt sick.

Not sick in the sense that she had gotten used to, but in the sense that she was scared out of her mind. She sat in one of the uncomfortable high-backed chairs that faced Alec's desk and wrapped her arms around her, holding herself tightly. The squeezing sensation was grounding, keeping her from getting up and running away. Clary was sitting next to her, though why she would want to be so close to Izzy after Izzy almost let her die was a mystery. The red head was rubbing soothing circles across Izzy's back, but the touch had faded to the background as Izzy tried to count the seconds between her breaths.

She could hear Jace and Alec talking quietly amongst themselves, their voices low so that Izzy could not hear them. It wasn't like she could use a rune to eavesdrop on them either, the black tattoos on her body mocking her as she knew that using them would only cause her extreme fatigue. She didn't need any of those things to know that Jace and Alec were talking about her, though. Too much had happened that night for them not to.

Izzy hated being the topic of conversation, mostly because she hated being left out. If they had something to say, they could say it to her face. She wasn't a prisoner. She wasn't a monster.

Was she?

Footsteps came closer and the office door swung shut. Jace was gone but Alec was at his desk now, sitting down and folding his hands primly on top of the wood. He gave Clary a look, and with a parting pat, the red head left the office. Once more, Izzy found herself face to face with her overly protective brother.

"Alec, I'm f - "

"If you tell me you're fine, I'm going to put you on suspension."

Izzy shut her mouth, though not because she wanted to. Alec looked completely serious about the suspension.

"We think it was a false alarm. Probably residual demon energy that had latched onto you and Jace and Clary. Usually that kind of thing is unheard of, but from what Jace told me, these new demons are unconventional to say the least. That's the story that's going in my report...unless you have something you want to share."

Izzy nodded mutely, her mouth feeling dry and scratchy. She wanted to say something, wanted to tell her brother _I think it was me _but the words didn't quite fit. She couldn't make her mouth cooperate, so many years of self-preservation forcing her silence.

Alec, however, was incredibly intuitive, especially when it came to Izzy. His eyes narrowed, taking in every facet of her tormented expression.

"Nothing you say could ever change the way I see you. I just want to help, Iz. Let me help," Alec said, and it hurt her how much he seemed to hurt. How could Alec think he was anything but the best brother any girl could ever ask for? The fact that Izzy's behavior caused him question that made her heart hurt even worse.

"I know that," Izzy said, her voice thick with emotion and also all the things she so desperate wanted to say. They were right there at the tip of her tongue, if only she could... "I'm just scared of what it means."

"Of what what means?" Alec asked, oh so gently.

"What's happening to me," Izzy replied, her voice small. She hadn't felt this helpless since she was a child, and even then she learned to shove all her insecurities down until she didn't feel them anymore. "I think I'm the one who set off the alert."

Saying it was liberating. One crack in her heart and rest of the fissures were opening. Tears sprung in her eyes, her insecurities rose like bile, and all at once she felt her fear and her sadness overwhelm her. Alec was there to catch her when she fell forward, let her fall into him and cry her eyes out. She sobbed and he held her close, his arms strong and secure around her, the only thing that made her feel like everything might be alright so long as he was there to help her stand through it.

"Izzy," Alec sighed as she pulled back, wiping the mascara-streaked tear tracks from her cheeks. "Only a demonic presence can set off the alarm."

"I made a seraph blade glow red," she whispered, ignoring the way Alec's eyebrows nearly shot off his forehead. She was only grateful that he hadn't pulled away. The soothing track of his thumbs across her cheekbones may have stopped, but he hadn't pulled away. Yet. "My necklace glows red all the time now, so I stopped wearing it. My staff won't obey me. My runes won't work. They burn whenever I try to use them, and that's if they don't knock me out first. It's why I couldn't heal Clary."

"Oh Iz," Alec said, his voice heavy and sad, like he was mourning with her. He still hadn't pulled away, but he was moving. He straightened up so that they were facing each other, no longer clinging on for dear life though he had moved his hands to hold hers in her lap. His eyes were gentle, no judgement to be found.

"I think I'm sick," Izzy continued, unable to stop the confessions now that she'd opened the floodgates. "I've been physically sick with something for weeks now, and I thought I would get over it, but what if I can't? What if it's changing me?"

Alec didn't have an answer to that. All he could do was hold onto her for as long as she needed. Izzy appreciated that he hadn't immediately jumped into ways to fix her. As much as Izzy knew that something was incredibly wrong, she didn't like to think she was broken.

"I'll be honest, I have no idea what any of this means," Alec said after a while, when Izzy had started mellow and every other breath wasn't a sob.

"That makes two of us," Izzy huffed a laugh, grateful when Alec laughed along.

"Have you thought about talking to Magnus? He's been around for a lot longer than we have. Maybe he can figure out something we can't," Alec suggested, and as much as Izzy wanted to tease him about how every solution he had these days revolved around his magical boyfriend, she had to admit that Alec made a good point. "Who knows, maybe you've been cursed by a warlock."

Alec was trying to lighten the mood, and it was working.

Izzy smiled genuinely for the first time in a while. "You're right. Thank you, big brother."

Yes, Magnus was infinitely resourceful and wise. He was bound to know something. And if it was a curse, then he could easily reverse it. Life would go back to normal and everything would be okay.

... _ ...

The next morning saw Izzy knocking on Magnus' door.

"Ah, Isabelle, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Magnus greeted, his smile serene as embraced her. He smelled like sandalwood, spice, and Alec. It was a combination that put Izzy at ease, and she practically dissolved into Magnus' arms.

"Alec thought it might be a good idea if I talked to you about what's been happening to me lately."

"Yes, he may have mentioned something about that," Magnus hummed, steering them into his living room.

All the furniture in Magnus' apartment was lavish but extremely comfortable. It was a combination so rare that it must have taken decades to cull the collection Magnus possessed. Izzy let herself sink into the sofa, enjoying the softness that the Institute was so devoid of. That was another strange, yet harmless quirk about her now. The hard edges and planes of the Institute never used to bother her before, but now she found them unbearable.

While Izzy luxuriated, Magnus waved his hands around and summoned them a tray of tea. He handed one cup over to Izzy. "How do you take your tea, my dear? Cream? Sugar?"

"Cream, thank you," Izzy said politely, holding onto the cup as it was warm and her hands were cold but still disgustingly clammy.

Magnus poured whiskey into his own tea. Izzy bit back a laugh. She should have figured.

One sip from her cup had Izzy gagging and spluttering.

"What did you put in this?" Izzy demanded, trying to remove the foul taste of something that was most definitely spoiled from her tongue. She was not particularly nauseous before, but she was now.

"Cream...just as you had asked," Magnus replied, alarmed at Izzy's response.

"Was it spoiled?"

"I assure you that I magicked that cream fresh from a quaint little dairy farm in the French countryside," Magnus said, and he sniffed the container to double check. His nose did not wrinkle with distaste, nor did the cream itself look particularly bad, but it sure as hell tasted vile. Magnus furrowed his brow, crossed his legs, and leaned towards Isabelle with new intent. "What is it exactly that has been troubling you?"

Izzy waited until she was sure she was not going to hurl before she answered. "Strange things have been happening for a few weeks now. First, I got sick, like this, and it really hasn't gone away, but it's getting more tolerable. What is getting worse is the other stuff."

"What other stuff?"

"I can't use my runes. Or my whip. My necklace glows red around me even when there aren't demons. Seraph blades glow red at my touch. Oh, and last night I set off the alarm at the Institute."

"Your brother told me that was due to residual demonic energy."

"Come on, I don't even think even Alec really believes that one."

Izzy didn't meant to sound so short, but her stomach was upset, and with the stomach problems came the headaches, and she was really looking forward to a pain-free day. If Magnus was offended, he didn't say anything. He simply shrugged and reclined further in his seat, but his expression had changed. He looked less carefree, more studious, and his eyes kept lingering to her abdomen. "Tell me more about this illness."

Out of all the things he could have asked about, the illness was not it. She expected him to grill her about glowing red seraph blades or ask her if she had a demon growing in her chest.

"It's, uh, nasty I guess? I feel terrible all the time, like I could sleep for days. My back hurts, my head hurts, everything hurts. It's like the Institute beds are made of bricks and it's so hard to get comfortable so I sleep terribly. And then when I wake up it's like everything I've eaten the day before just doesn't agree with me anymore and I have to get rid of it or I'll explode."

"I see. And how long has this been going on?"

Izzy shrugged, trying to pick the days apart. "I don't know, a few weeks?"

Magnus' lips had begun to quirk upwards, like he was privy to a joke Izzy wasn't. "And when you're not sick, any cravings?"

This time, Izzy was offended.

"Like I told Clary, _no_. I'm not back to doing _that_. Just because I'm sick does not mean I'm out searching for some vampire to suck me dry."

"Of course not," Magnus assured, aware of his misstep. "We all know how hard you struggled with your Yin Fen addiction. I meant cravings for food, the ones that don't make you sick. Particularly strange combinations that may seem unappetizing to others."

"Maybe..." Izzy trailed off, remembering the way her mouth salivated at the fish served for dinner last night and how she had mixed it with her pudding when no one was watching. Her eyes narrowed at Magnus in suspicion. She may have been naive to a lot of things, but she had a feeling she knew where Magnus was leading her. "What are you getting at, Magnus?"

"Have you ever thought about taking a pregnancy test?"

Izzy was so shocked to hear it aloud, that she dropped her tea. Magnus tutted and cleaned the mess with a flick of his wrist.

"That's_ impossible_," Izzy vehemently denied, shaking her head back and forth, not letting the idea take root. "No way. Not a chance."

"There's no shame in it, my dear," he continued, his tone light and soothing. It was the opposite of Izzy's internal screaming.

"I make it a point not to sleep with Shadowhunters for this_ exact reason_. Only mundanes and Downworlders."

"Even the best of us can slip up, Isabelle," Magnus said, endlessly patient, and in that moment, oh so old. "I do not know your body, nor do I know your history. All I can do is put together a picture from the pieces I am given, and right now, you are the picture of a woman in her first trimester. I know it is probably not what you want to hear, nor what you expected, but at least entertain the idea."

Izzy did not want to entertain the idea. She did not want to think about being pregnant so young, at being a mother so young. She had things she wanted to do with her life, goals she still had yet to accomplish. She didn't know how to raise a child. The only role model she had growing up was her own mother, and despite all the woman had done to amend things in recent months, Maryse Lightwood was hardly winning Mother of the Year awards.

What would her peers think? What would her parents think? What would Jace, Clary, and Alec think? Would they support her or would they leave her behind. They were all young and in their prime fighting years. There were still battles to be won, bigger badder demons to slay. How could Izzy step away from her duty when her people needed her most?

No, she was not pregnant...

...but what if she was?

"Even if I was pregnant, and I'm _not_, then how would that explain all the other things that are going on with me?" Izzy challenged, clinging to that line of rationale to discredit Magnus' theory.

"That I am not so sure about," Magnus confessed, chewing on his bottom lip. "But if you did happen to be expecting, it is possible that the pregnancy could be interfering with your Angel-given abilities. Are you certain that you have a comprehensive list of sexual partners from the last few months, and that none of them could have caused this?"

"Certain," Izzy nodded firmly. Subconsciously her hands had come to rest on her abdomen, and she tore them away before they made a habit of it.

"Would you humor me in running through that list, just to be sure?" Magnus asked, his hands splayed in surrender. At least he knew he was on thin ice.

"I saw Meliorn once, and a few Seelies at the Hunters Moon," Izzy rattled off, adding a few more as she remembered them. Magnus, if he was thinking anything, kept his mouth shut. He waited patiently, sipping on his tea while Izzy's list came to a conclusion. "That's it, really. The only other person that I can think of is that one night stand I had in LA, but he was mundane."

"Ooo, where in LA?" Magnus asked, intrigued. "Lovely city. I have a distant relative there I've been meaning to check in on."

"At this club called Lux. Actually, I think he owned the place. Gave me a ton of free drinks. It was a pretty fun night." Izzy was about to go into the story of a dazed and drunk Jace making a fool of himself on the dance floor but was cut off by the sound of something splattering. She looked up to find that Magnus had tipped his tea cup, amber liquid sloshing onto the expensive carpet. He was staring at Izzy, his eyes as wide as the saucer he held. "Magnus, are you alright?"

"The man you met at Lux...what did he look like?" Magnus asked, his voice strangely choked. "Tall, handsome, British accent?"

"Yes..." Izzy confirmed, spooked now that Magnus had gone even paler. "Magnus, what is it? Do you know him?"

Magnus nodded, placing his tea down in favor of taking one of Izzy's hands in his own. She could feel him shaking. Why was he shaking? "I'm afraid that man was no mundane. That man was Lucifer Morningstar."


	4. Chapter 4

Devil in the Details

_"That man is Lucifer Morningstar."_

Izzy's first reaction was to laugh. This was a joke. Magnus was joking. He had to be. There was no way he was being serious. But the longer Izzy held his gaze, the longer he looked at her with those wide, concerned eyes just waiting for her to break, the less funny the joke became.

"You're...you're joking, right?" Izzy asked, desperately hoping for a yes. But Magnus remained silent, his grip on her hands tightening, as if bracing for her fall. "Are you seriously telling me that I slept with _Lucifer Morningstar_? The _Devil?_"

Izzy got up and started to pace, her arms frantically moving in all directions.

"That's impossible! He was so normal! I mean, not _normal_ but he was mundane! He looked mundane, he had a mundane job! My necklace didn't even glow - "

She cut herself off, because how was she supposed to reconcile the fact that she had slept with Evil himself, the great tempter, the King of Hell and all its demons? The Devil was a monster, full of fire and fury - a beast of sulphur and ash with thorny wings and angry red burns. That was what Izzy had been taught her whole life. The Devil was wicked and sin and cruelty. The Devil was not fancy suits and red-bottomed shoes and sly smiles. The Devil was not whispered touches, biting kisses, and soft California king beds.

"Before we go jumping to conclusions..." Magnus twirled his wrist, a flash of blue smoke dancing across his palm, and a white stick appeared. It was thin and made of plastic, with a tiny window on the opposite end of a flat sensor. Izzy had seen these in a few of the mundane comedies Simon had forced her to endure. They were supposed to measure hormones to predict pregnancy. Magnus held it out to her. "Take the test, Isabelle."

"Like a mundane?"

"I could go to the trouble of whipping up a potion, but why waste the time and ingredients when these work just as well?"

Izzy grumbled and snatched the test from Magnus' hand. She didn't meant to be so irate, but the fear that had started to fester under her skin was making her antsy. She did not want to be pregnant. By the Angel, Izzy did not want to be pregnant. But the more she thought about it, the more likely the situation seemed to point towards pregnancy and that...that terrified her. A baby terrified her more than new shadow demons or Valentine or even death.

Begrudgingly, Izzy took the test into the bathroom to get it over and done with. The whole process was kind of gross if she had to be honest. She washed her hands twice when she was done, taking the test and placing it on a paper towel on the kitchen counter where both she and Magnus could see. Minutes crept by like hours. She was gripping Magnus' hand so hard it had to hurt, but he did not let go. Izzy was so very grateful she did not have to go through this agony by herself.

Izzy chanced a glance at the clock. The required time had elapsed. If she looked at that test now, it would tell her whether or not she was carrying the spawn of Satan inside her. She knew that mundanes and Shadowhunters were incompatible, just as Downworlders were, but angels? The Devil himself? That was uncharted territory.

With shaking hands, Izzy picked up the test. Two pink lines glared out at her, mocking her.

Pregnant.

_Fuck. _

Her eyes stung with tears as she threw the test across the room. She wanted to throw more things, but none were within grabbing distance. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to curse the Angel and every divine entity for allowing this to happen to her. Hadn't she been through enough?

Magnus got up and rushed over to her, gathering her up and holding her close. The pressure of his arms around her, the warmth of him, was comforting. Everything about Magnus was soothing, even when Izzy felt like she was standing in the middle of a hurricane. If Izzy was caught in the storm, then Magnus was the guiding light. He had gotten her this far; he could guide her to shore.

"What do I do Magnus?"

"I don't know," he said gently, holding her to his chest. "But whatever you decide, I will support you, and so will Alec, and Jace, and Clary. We won't let you go through this alone."

"Please don't tell Alec," Izzy begged, hating doing this to Magnus. Alec was his boyfriend, her brother, but Izzy needed this to remain quiet. At least for now. At least until she had a grip on the situation. As much as she loved Alec and Clary and Jace, they would only make this harder for her. "I know it's unfair of me to ask, but please, just...for a little while...I don't want anyone to know."

"It's alright. You don't have to explain yourself," Magnus assured, but the lines in his forehead deepened and his eyes looked pinched. He clearly didn't like what Izzy was asking, but he kept those complaints silent. "I won't tell anyone. But you can't keep this a secret forever. At some point, it will literally show."

"I know, I know," Izzy sighed, trying to push the image of herself with a swollen belly out of her mind before she broke down. "Hopefully by then everything won't seem so overwhelming."

"Like I said, you don't have to do this alone."

"Thank you," Izzy mumbled into the tear-stained silk of Magnus' ruined shirt.

"What I do think you should do is talk to Lucifer."

"Talk? To the Devil?" Izzy repeated, dumbfounded at the simplicity yet the impossibility of the sentence. "Just find him in his club, part my way through the sea of drunk mundanes, and say 'hello Satan, I'm carrying your baby'?"

"Perhaps with a bit more tact than that," Magnus scoffed a bit, though he was still smiling. "You met him. Was he really so unapproachable? You must have liked him well enough to take him to bed."

"I have a feeling everyone in that club would take him to bed if he asked."

"True, he does have a...way with people."

Maybe it was the pensive look on Magnus' face, or maybe it was the room for interpretation put in the pause between words, but a terrible, sickening thought flashed through Izzy's mind.

"Wait...you don't think?"

"Oh no, absolutely not," Magnus was quick to assure, waving away any doubt. "Lucifer may be many things, but he is always honest. He would stoop as low as to manipulate someone into bed. Whatever you felt, whatever drew you two together, was completely natural."

"Or supernatural," Izzy mumbled, wrapping her arms around her abdomen.

"Just think about it, Isabelle. Talk to him. He deserves to know. Say the word and I can make us a portal right outside Lux's front doorstep."

Izzy narrowed her eyes. "I thought warlocks could only make portals to places they've been before?"

Magnus shrugged. "I am familiar with the area."

"That distant relative in LA..."

Magnus nodded once, curtly. So, Magnus was related to the Devil himself. Fascinating. Izzy knew all demons came from Hell, but demons were usually more closely related to Lilith than Lucifer. She wanted to ask who Magnus' father was, but Izzy got the feeling that Magnus knew where this conversation was headed and was trying to cut if off before anyone struck a nerve. A conversation for another time.

Izzy could feel guilt eating at her. She knew that talking to the father, even if that father was _Lucifer _freaking _Morningstar_, was the right thing to do. She could not bring a child like this into the world without knowing what she was getting into. This baby could be born with hooves and horns for all she knew. Only one person had the answers.

"Yeah, why not. Let's go have a chat with the Devil."

Even though he was the one to suggest the infernal meeting, Magnus raised his brows in shock. "Are you sure? If you're not comfortable - "

"I'm sure. Let's just get this over with."

Magnus nodded and snapped his fingers, the shimmering golden portal forming behind them. Izzy looked at it with dread. She had stepped through her fair share of portals throughout her career, but none scared her as much as this one. She had gone to Alicante, across the world to its most hostile spots, but it was a luxury penthouse that scared her the most.

Fingers thread through hers, and Izzy looked to see that Magnus had taken her hand. Surprisingly, it was easier to step forward with someone to hold onto. Magnus' weight was grounding, keeping her from changing her mind and turning around. She wanted to. As soon as the whoosh of the portal roared in her ears, Izzy had no greater want than to turn right back around. But Magnus kept her in place, kept putting her feet one in front of the other until Magnus' apartment vanished and was replaced by another, much more extravagant one.

The penthouse looked just as Izzy remembered: from the fully-stocked bar to the wall of windows to the polished grand piano in the center.

It was, unfortunately, not as empty as Izzy remembered.

For there, bent over the piano smoking a cigarette and drinking a glass of whiskey, sat Izzy's Mister Tall Dark and Handsome. The Devil Himself. Lucifer Morningstar.

"Ah, if it isn't my favorite nephew! What brings you to the city of lost angels?" Lucifer crowed as he got up and sauntered over to Magnus. Lucifer clapped one hand over Magnus' shoulder hard enough to shake Magnus' frame, seemingly unconcerned that Magnus had broken in uninvited. Then, he caught sight of Izzy, and his expression fell to something a little more confused. "...and why have you brought along this particular Nephilim?"

"So you remember me?"

"My dear, how could I forget?" Lucifer replied smoothly, but the tension in his dark eyes made it clear that it was not completely a compliment. "I was actually hoping that night had been something of a bad dream. You see, it isn't every day you discover a particularly good shag is the very distant relative of your least favorite brother."

"I'm afraid this isn't a social call, Lucifer," Magnus said apologetically, watching as Lucifer's lips pulled down into a frown. "That night you described is precisely why I brought Isabelle here. Apparently there were...consequences."

Lucifer arched one dark eyebrow. "Consequences?"

There was no use beating around the bush, not with the Prince of Lies watching Izzy's every move. Steeling herself, Izzy drew in a breath and let it go.

"I'm pregnant."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello loves! I suppose now is the time to say that this story's plot/tension is not centered around "will Lucifer accept the reveal of the child and be a good parent?" but more along the lines of "who wants this kid for their own nefarious purposes and will Izzy escape them?". Hence why the reveal is pretty early along in the story. I don't know how long this story is gonna be, but I know what I want to have happen and we'll just have fun along the way! Also, if you're waiting for more Lucifer faces to show up, they will! Eventually!

Thanks to everyone who has faved/followed/reviewed! I love you all bunches! XOXOX

* * *

Devil in the Details

_"I'm pregnant."_

When she spoke those words to the Devil himself, Izzy expected many things. She expected rage. She expected a bellowing outcry of accusation. She expected fire to come up from the floor and for the man in front of her to turn into some kind of winged monster with horns and a tail. A small part of her even expected to put up a fight to keep from being dragged to Hell.

What Izzy did not expect was for Lucifer to first choke on his whiskey and then promptly spit it out, reducing himself to a coughing fit.

The display shattered any illusion of terror the Devil could have held. Once the initial chaos died down and Lucifer was able to breathe without wheezing, however, he did not seem all too shocked. He sauntered over to the bar, topped off his glass of whiskey, and downed it all in one go, forgetting that the very same drink had caused him second degree esophageal burns two seconds prior.

"You're certain?" Lucifer asked, his dark eyes wide and slightly manic.

"Unfortunately."

Lucifer nodded and took another large drink. If he were mundane, he would have been comatose by now. Instead, he kept steadily pouring whiskey into his glass in the hopes that maybe it would do something to take the edge off.

"I was afraid this might happen. Normally it wouldn't be possible. But as soon as I saw those runes, I feared the worst."

Anger flashed through Izzy. _He knew_. He knew this could have happened and yet he said _nothing_? Oh, Izzy was so mad she could feel her knuckles crack in their fists. Rationally she knew that she had left Lucifer without so much as a name, nonetheless a number for him to call. Though, he said he saw her runes...she could have sworn her glamor stayed in tact the whole night. There was no way to know. Anger and rational thought warred in her brain, so she kept her mouth closed until she could get a grip.

In the mean time, Lucifer kept steadily drinking and Magnus stood between them like the awkward third wheel he was. He was torn between supporting his family member and supporting Izzy. So he kept a fair distance from both.

"I know it's a crazy bomb to drop on you, but I just learned that my hook up in LA was the Devil, and that he's the father of this child, so I'm just as lost. I don't know what else to do. I don't even know where to start. I need your help."

As humiliating as it was to beg the Devil for a sliver of mercy, Izzy was proud of herself for keeping it together long enough to get that out. Lucifer, however, was staring at her like she had grown a second head.

"What makes you think I can be of any use?" Lucifer asked, bewildered. "I don't know the first thing about children. I don't even like them."

Izzy felt like she had been slapped. She had come all this way, stuck her neck out on the line, and made herself vulnerable...for_ this_? The anger came back ten fold, and this time she could not help the way it bled through.

"Are you telling me you _can't_ help me, or _won't_ help me?"

Lucifer shrugged. "Sorry to disappoint. I have a habit of doing that."

Sarcasm dripped off of his very word. As if he had any right to be offended when he was the one who got Izzy into this mess. The gall!

Frustrated beyond belief and close to tears, Izzy turned to Magnus. "This was a waste of time. Take me home, Magnus. Now."

Magnus, who looked rather irritated himself, only had to be told once before he had his hands out, fingers sparking up magic.

"Wait!" Lucifer shouted, looking terribly conflicted. He reached out with one hand, the one that wasn't holding his whiskey, halting Magnus in his tracks. "Miss..."

"Lightwood. Izzy Lightwood," she supplied, turning around and crossing her arms over her chest. She must have looked rather impetuous, staring down the Devil like a child throwing a tantrum. Lucifer didn't smite her for the attitude, so Izzy took that as her cue to keep pushing her boundaries.

"Miss Lightwood Just...wait. I apologize. It's not like this sort of thing happens every day...or ever in the history of humanity." There was a false cheer to Lucifer's rambling that covered a deeper fear, but Izzy didn't bring it up. Lucifer clapped his hands together. "Let's try to figure this out like adults, hmmm? First thing's first, does anyone want a drink? Dad knows I need it. I can make a virgin."

Magnus immediately nodded and moved to the bar, bypassing Lucifer's whiskey collection to get to the other stuff. Izzy rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm fine."

"Suit yourself," Lucifer sighed, shooting a glare towards Magnus who was in the process of mixing many expensive liquors. "Drink me out of the house why don't you."

Magnus gave Lucifer a matching glare, pouring an extra shot into his colorful concoction just to spite him.

When all drinks were made, the three of them took to the living space. Magnus sat close to Izzy on the leather sofa while Lucifer sat in the chair across from them, sprawling himself in a way that took up the entire space. He had both arms on the rests, his fingers drumming on the leather.

"Second item of business," Lucifer said rather seriously, dark eyes searching. "Do you want this child?"

Izzy was so taken aback that it took her a second to process what Lucifer was asking. She took Magnus' hand and grasped it tight. "What?"

"You are pregnant, yes, but that does not mean there has to be a child. There are many, many dangers attached to carrying a child like this, the biggest one being that no one knows what the bloody hell to expect. You're a first, Miss Lightwood. Plus, out of all God's creatures, celestial or otherwise, you're having a child with the Devil. I wouldn't blame you for choosing the way out," Lucifer explained, never once wavering from Izzy's gaze. And then, his eyes turned soft, something incredibly human lying there. "I would never force you to do something you do not want to do. Whatever you decide, I will support you."

Out of all the possible outcomes, abortion had never once crossed Izzy's mind. It wasn't that she was against the concept, it was just...not an option she thought was available to her. None of the Shadowhunters she knew had ever once uttered the word. Their entire culture emphasized marrying young, having kids young, passing on knowledge to the future generations and keeping Shadowhunter bloodlines alive before dying young. The idea of cutting off a future branch of a precious bloodline, especially one as prominent and ancient as the Lightwood line, went against her very nature.

But, Izzy had to admit, the option was appealing. It would solve every single one of her problems. If the pregnancy was as dangerous as Lucifer thought it would be, it could very possibly save her life. Izzy could have her life back. She could hunt demons again. She could use her runes again. She could walk through the Institute without fear again.

Her hand reached down to rest on her flat stomach. No, flat wasn't the right word. There was definitely a give to it now, a softness that was not there before, and a slight rounded shape. She would have trouble hiding it soon, especially with the revealing nature of the clothes in her wardrobe. She had never had the need to hide her body before. It was always a point of pride. She should have been sad that the musculature she had spent her whole life building was going to be ruined by this creature making a home in her womb. However, all Izzy felt was a strange sense of acceptance.

Whether she had known it or not, Izzy's subconscious had made its mind up about the baby.

"I'm going through with this. Whatever happens, I can handle it."

Lucifer let out a long sigh, canting his head back against the cushion of his chair. One breath in, another out. Like he was coming to terms with her decision. He was staying miraculously composed; Izzy had to give him credit for that.

When Lucifer's head came back up, he looked all his years. "If that is what you want, Miss Lightwood."

"It is."

A single nod. Another drink from his glass of whiskey. "Better send a memo to the Nephilim to expect some increased demonic activity. It's in good manners, and best to avoid an unwanted house call."

"The Shadowhunters know you're here?" For some reason, that was what shocked Izzy most.

"Of course they do. I have a longstanding arrangement with the Los Angeles Institute: I ignore them, and they ignore me so long as I don't cause too much trouble. My presence would wreak too much havoc on their fragile systems otherwise. No matter what I do, I can't get rid of the stench of Hell. It clings to me like a jealous ex. Makes for a rather nasty demonic aura."

"Demonic aura..." Izzy repeated, feeling a bit lightheaded as things started to make sense. She turned to Magnus, her eyes wide and searching. "The alert...my necklace..."

Magnus nodded once. Catching on to Lucifer's confused look, they explained the incident at the Institute from the previous night.

"I can only imagine that those instances will get worse the further along you get," Lucifer said, his expression pensive and drawn, like he was going to deliver bad news. "I am afraid that it will make your job as a Shadowhunter impossible."

"It already is impossible," Izzy sighed. "I can't use my runes. I can't control angelic weapons. Last night the Institute wouldn't even let me in without a fight."

"That is not the only thing you should be afraid of," Lucifer warned, his expression dark. "A child this powerful giving off their own demonic aura will draw attention from all sides. Demons and angels alike will try to obtain the child for their own means...or kill it. You won't be safe, Miss Lightwood. Not from Heaven nor from Hell."

In all her worries about her immediate future, Izzy had not stopped to think about the future consequences of bringing the Devil's child into the world. It was safe to assume that the child would be powerful, probably more on the celestial side than the mortal given that Izzy herself was part angel. Would they be born with some divine purpose or power? Izzy knew that the Clave would kill to have a power like that behind them, executing their will on the Downworld. Opposite, Izzy had a feeling that the Downworld would want to use the child as a means of retaliation. What better weapon to use against the Shadowhunters than a creature born of their own blood?

That was all speculation. What was real was Clary bleeding on the sidewalk from wounds inflicted in the blink of an eye. What was real was demons that looked like Death itself, horrible and grotesque and constantly shifting in the dark.

"Do you know anything about demons that look like shadows? Huge, black smoky things..."

"Unfortunately I do. Wraiths. Nasty creatures, usually reserved for lurking in the lowest levels of Hell and tormenting evil souls," Lucifer said with a grimace, and then, with a realization. "Have they come after you? Already?"

Izzy nodded. Lucifer swore.

"This is worse than I thought."

"Those demons tore through Clary and Jace like they were nothing," Izzy said, still shaken from the fight in the alley. The way those demons moved, how hard they were to put down. She had never seen anything like it. And to think that they could keep coming, and coming, and coming...Izzy shivered. "Normal demons I can deal with. But how do I protect myself against something like that?"

No one had any answers. Izzy was sure that she looked disparing. This conversation was supposed to bring her good news. It was supposed to make her feel better. The only thing it had done was succeed in making her feel worse.

"There is something else I could do, something drastic," Lucifer said, chewing on his bottom lip pensively. "But you would have to be absolutely certain."

"It's not like I have any better options."

"I shouldn't be doing this," Lucifer muttered under his breath, a drawn look on his face the one of a man about to give into a very bad idea. He looked at Izzy and Magnus was a fierce insistence. "None of you are to say a word about this. Dad only knows what he'd do to me if he found out..."

At first, Izzy was confused. Then, the room was full of sixteen feet of white feathers, and Izzy couldn't think of much else other than _wow_.

Lucifer's wings were_ beautiful._ No, that was an understatement. Lucifer's wings were _otherworldly_. Pristine white feathers immaculately groomed and faintly glowing with a light unrelated to the setting sun streaming through the windows. Izzy had the compulsion to fall to her feet and praise them. She never wanted to look away, the wings filling her with a sense of peace and warmth unlike any other she had felt before. A look towards Magnus showed that he too was affected, but not to the same degree as Izzy. In fact, Magnus seemed to have an aversion to the wings, his glamor gone, cat eyes wide and weary as he took a step back and watched for what Lucifer would do next.

Lucifer combed skilled fingers through the feathers near the bone, ruffling this wings. Oh, they looked so soft. Izzy had to physically hold her wrist down to keep from touching them. He loosened one of the pristine white feathers and brandished it in front of Izzy. The look on his face was deadly serious.

"Are you sure?" He asked her again, making direct eye contact. Izzy should have been afraid, making a deal with the Devil. Instead, it felt like one of the better decisions she had made lately.

Izzy nodded once. Lucifer grimaced but nodded back all the same.

Then, he crushed the feather in the palm of his hand, the glow turning white hot for a split second before he set it loose on Izzy. The light washed over her, making her vision white out. And then it was _in_ her; she could feel it buzzing down her spine. It was_ everywhere_.

"Whoa," Izzy said as she gathered her bearings, feeling slightly light-headed.

"Are you alright, Miss Lightwood?" Lucifer asked in a voice far too compassionate to belong to Satan himself. Izzy was quite unsure what to think of him anymore.

Lucifer had put his wings away, the room dimmer for the lack of their light. Izzy missed them, something in her soul aching for him to release them again, but she refrained from mentioning it.

"Fine," Izzy replied, finding it was true. She felt like her whole body was tingling, from her nose to the tips of her toes. "What was that?"

"Angel feathers can do a whole slew of useful things. Different angel, different set of abilities, but the core ones remain in tact: healing, empowering, protecting. Get your hand on an angel feather and it's like you have your own personal genie. Only one wish though. You can imagine why giving them to the people is a huge celestial no-no."

"Okay...but what was _that_? The light?"

"Oh, that was the protecting part," Lucifer said with a smile, though it was strained through the edges. "Imagine that I threw a neon sign up over your head that said: _Property of the Devil, Trespassers will be Dismembered_! Not that you are my property, obviously. Demons aren't as caught up on feminism and all that, the savages. They only understand things in claiming terms."

Izzy processed this, staring down at her hands which she swore still held a hint of a glow. She had never been blessed before. Not by Raziel, not by Ithuriel, nor by any other angel. She wondered if their blessings were as warm as Lucifer's. For a fallen angel, everything about him seemed to radiate warmth and light.

She finally tore her gaze from her hands to smile at Lucifer, the words on the tip of her tongue -

"Don't thank me just yet," Lucifer said with an apologetic tone, like he had just done something terrible. "You actively express my blessing now. Because of that, your own angelic grace has been dampened. Not gone, just muted. Overpowered."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that you can't go home," Magnus said gently, taking one of Izzy's hands for support. "You can't go back to the Institute."

"Nor any Institute, I'm afraid," Lucifer cut in, magnifying the enormity of the problem. "Nor your little Nephilim city. All angelic spaces have been...temporarily closed so to speak."

"You have too much demonic energy around you now. They'll think you're a Downworlder," Magnus finished. He looked a little said, waiting for the news to hit Izzy. And it did. It hit her like a bulldozer. Only the fact that she was sitting kept her legs from giving out.

"Where am I supposed to go?"

Izzy hated how small her voice sounded, how young and completely lost she was. She thought that being raised to be independent and fight for herself had broken her of being helpless, but she was wrong. Her entire world was being pull out from under her, safety net and all.

"You can stay with me," Magnus offered immediately, leaving Lucifer's mouth gaping open with words left unsaid. "My loft is plenty spacious enough to accommodate another guest. Plus, it's in a familiar area and close to your family. I can start throwing up the extra wards tonight."

"Oh Magnus, but you've already done so much. I couldn't - "

"You can and you will. I won't take no for an answer."

So many emotions flooded through Izzy, the ones she normally kept under lock and key. Tears were dangerously close to the surface, and she had to work her throat to push the lump down. She did give into the urge to hug Magnus, holding the warlock tightly, a lifeline.

"Well, it seems as though we've got that settled," Lucifer clearing his throat and clapping his hands together like he had at the beginning, a sense of finality in the motion. He stood, smoothing down his suit. Izzy and Magnus parted and did the same. "Anything else that needs to be addressed?"

"I'm sure there are a dozen things we forgot, but I'll figure it out," Izzy said, a sense of peace washing over her. As crazy as this conversation had been, she was glad it happened. It made so many things clear. "Thank you, Lucifer. You managed to be helpful after all."

"I aim to please."

Lucifer flashed one of his winning grins, the same type that had won her over on the dance floor and gotten her into this mess. She heard the double entendre but refused to acknowledge it.

Knowing he wasn't going to get anything out of Izzy, Lucifer turned his focus to Magnus.

"Don't be a stranger, Magnus. Maybe next time we can get drinks elsewhere."

Magnus rolled his eyes, his expression annoyed but fond. "You still owe me from Paris."

"I haven't forgotten."

A shake of hands and Magnus started moving towards the open space near the elevator to crack open a return portal. Izzy took a step to follow when another thought sprung to mind. She turned back to Lucifer, who had migrated over towards to bar once more. He stopped in his tracks as soon as he felt Izzy's eyes on him, looking up at her curiously.

"Do you want to be involved?" she asked without preamble.

Lucifer arched an eyebrow, confused. "Involved?"

"In the baby's life, that is," Izzy asked, feeling nervous now of all times. She wrung her hands and ducked her head. "I could, I don't know, portal over every once in a while. Get those little pictures mundanes do."

Lucifer's face fell, anguish striking through it before Izzy realized what it was.

"That is a generous offer, Miss Lightwood, truly. But I believe it's best for everyone if I am as far removed from the situation as possible."

Izzy didn't expect the rejection to hit her has hard as it did. Embarrassment washed over her, her cheeks flushing. _Why did you even ask? Stupid, stupid question. He doesn't even like children! _

"Oh. Right. Of course. Sorry, I..."

"It's not that I don't care. I do," Lucifer insisted. He took Izzy gently by the shoulders, his hands warm on her bare skin. She looked up to meet his gaze, dark eyes intent and a little melancholy, and she knew what he said was true. "Believe me when I say that you are safer without me around. The people I care about have a habit of getting hurt because of me. I don't want to be the reason something terrible happens to you...or the baby."

The silence that followed was full of unspoken things. Mostly because Izzy had no idea how to reply to something laced with millennia's worth of baggage. She didn't think Lucifer wanted her to say anything anyway.

"That's not to say I will be completely absent. If you need anything - if you find yourself in danger or something terrible does happen - just pray. Pray to me, and I'll be there."

For the second time in a row Izzy did not know what to say. This time she was sure she was supposed to reply with something, but she couldn't find the words. How could she properly express her gratitude for something like this?

Anything she might have said was cut off by the chime of a text. Lucifer frowned and pulled out his phone, letting out a dramatic groan of frustration as he read the message. Izzy had no idea who or what would be texting the Devil, nor what kind of bad news could sour his mood so quickly.

"Sorry, I have to reply to this. It's the Detective." Izzy's pure confusion must have registered above Lucifer's texting fingers, so he explained. "Long story, but I work for the LAPD and apparently someone had the audacity to get murdered right next door the only edible pad thai in the city. The nerve."

Again, Izzy was struck with how normal Lucifer was. How human. How he was nothing she had ever imagined and yet the best possible outcome.

"I have to say, you're not what I expected."

She had definitely not meant to say that out loud.

"Oh?" Lucifer asked, cocking his head to the side. To most people, Lucifer looked like he may be basking in some kind of praise, his grin shit-eating and slightly mischievous. But Izzy could see the genuine curiosity that lied underneath. "And what did you expect?"

"I don't know," Izzy admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "Horns, tail, fire and brimstone."

"Sorry to disappoint you yet again."

"Not disappointed," Izzy replied, enjoying the way Lucifer's face morphed into surprise. "Thank you, Lucifer. For everything. I hope I'll see you again."

"Likewise, Miss Lightwood," Lucifer replied, his voice a little rough. "Best of luck with everything."

Izzy smiled and nodded to his phone. "You too."

Behind her, the familiar whoosh of a portal sparked to life, ready to take her back to Magnus' loft. Her new home. That was a strange thing to wrap her head around. At least she wouldn't be alone to make the adjustment.

Izzy took Magnus' hand once more and together they stepped through, leaving Lucifer and the West Coast behind.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry for the hiatus loves! Thank you so much for all your reviews/faves/follows! I am so humbled and so glad that this story was able to sway some of you into starting Lucifer and Shadowhunters! I got stuck in a rut with this chapter, mostly because it feels like a rehashing of the last one, so I hope it's not terrible. I just need to get all these conversations/confessions out of the way so I can jump into the juicier plot. Hope you loves enjoy! XOXOX

Just to clear something up from a guest review - Lucifer is not a demon. However, Hell is full of them, and he is fallen therefore lacking God's grace, hence the demonic aura that surrounds him and now the baby. That's what I meant when Lucifer said that Hell clings to him like a jealous ex. Hope that makes more sense.

* * *

Devil in the Details

The portal swirled closed, depositing Izzy and Magnus back at his apartment.

Travel by portal was disorienting when Izzy was at her best. Combined with pregnancy, and Izzy felt like she could hurl, unsteady feet trying to hold her body upright. Strange, how this was the part of the journey that left Izzy feeling most uneasy. At the start of the day, she would have put her money on the pregnancy. Now that she had answers, and was somewhat assured that nothing terrible was going to happen to her, she could relax. A little bit.

There was a magnificent, plush couch on the other side of the room that was calling Izzy's name. What she really wanted to do now was lie down on it and take a ten hour nap.

However, there was a third person in Magnus' apartment, one Izzy wasn't quite up to facing just yet.

"Alexander," Magnus greeted warmly, stepping out of the portal and into the arms of his boyfriend. Alec's smile was a beautiful thing, one that Izzy thought her brother would never wear again until he met Magnus. "What time did you get back?"

"Just a few minutes ago," Alec replied, taking the time to return Magnus' embrace and peck him gently on the lips before returning to his stoic self. "Where have you two been?"

"Nowhere important," Izzy replied briefly, trying her best to make the whole thing sound like no big deal. It backfired. Alec cast a glance between Izzy and Magnus, suspicious, and Izzy scrambled to patch her mistake. "You told me to consult Magnus about what was going on with me, so we went looking for answers."

Alec crossed his arms over his chest and cocked his head. "Did you find anything?"

"Nothing worth reporting," Izzy denied breezily, smiling in the hopes of disarming her brother.

She looked back at Magnus, who was uncharacteristically quiet during this exchange. In fact, Magnus wasn't engaging in conversation at all, busy on his phone, milling about the apartment as if ignoring them. Alec noticed as well.

"What aren't you telling me?" Alec demanded, using his Head of the Institute voice. But Izzy wasn't just some subordinate Shadowhunter. She had lived with Alec her whole life; he wasn't about to intimidate her now.

"Nothing," Izzy insisted, knowing that she did not sound convincing at all. She turned to Magnus imploringly, desperately. "Tell him Magnus. Alec has nothing to worry about."

Magnus stopped pretending to file his books that were already in alphabetical order on the shelves. He walked towards the bickering siblings slowly, deliberately, focused only on Izzy. His expression was unreadable, though not very pleased.

"I'm sorry, Isabelle. I promised you I would not tell Alexander, but do not stand here and ask me lie to his face," Magnus replied evenly, looking Izzy straight in the eye. There was no anger there, only a resignation that told Izzy that if she was going to face her brother, it was going to be alone. She didn't blame Magnus. It was wrong of her to ask him to keep things from Alec in the first place.

"I am going to feed Chairman Meow," Magnus said abruptly, a bowl of cat food appearing in hand with a flourish of his wrist. He looked between the siblings who were now poised for standoff, placing his free hand over Alec's heart, imploring. "You two will _talk_, yes?"

Alec nodded stiffly and Magnus patted Alec's chest before walking off. The look he gave Izzy as he passed was one of silent support.

Both Lightwood siblings walked towards the couch at the same time. They sat on opposite ends, still tense enough not to want to be any nearer to one another. Izzy sat ram-rod straight while Alec melted into the cushions as if he belonged, and Izzy supposed in a sense that he did. These past few months, this apartment, this living room, this couch, had been just as much his as Magnus'. It was easier not to nap on it when Izzy could feel her heart beating loudly in her ears.

She could do this. She could totally tell her overprotective, overbearing older brother that the Devil had knocked her up. Totally.

"What's going on Iz?" Alec asked, making Izzy jump, startling her out of panicking. "What won't you tell me?"

"It's not that I don't want to," Izzy tried to explain, but the words got tied up on her tongue. This would all go so much smoother if it didn't feel like the ground was bottoming out from underneath her. "I just...I haven't even had time to process it myself."

"Maybe we could process together?"

Izzy bit her lip and inched towards her brother. She grabbed his hands, holding them in hers. She was always surprised by the difference in size, how large and calloused Alec's hands were compared to her own smaller, more slender ones. The callouses remained the same though, both of them bearing the proof of years of hard training.

Hard training that Izzy was about to tell her brother, the Head of the New York Institute, she was throwing away.

"Before I tell you, I need you to promise me something."

"Anything."

"No matter what I say, please...don't freak out," Izzy asked, hating how small and insecure she sounded. "I need you to remain calm and level headed about this, because I am anything but that right now."

Alec squeezed her hands briefly in support. He didn't need to say anything for Izzy to have his affirmative. It was now or never.

She closed her eyes and dropped the bomb.

"I'm pregnant. Magnus and I went to LA to confront the father."

Izzy felt Alec's hands slip from hers, completely slack from shock. She didn't dare open her eyes, not yet. Not when she could hear the gears in Alec's brain turning, hear his breath quickening as the anger she knew would come set in.

"What?"

Alec's voice was small, controlled, and full of irritation. Izzy feared that this would happen, that Alec would jump to the worst case scenario in his mind and only focus on the negatives. It was part of why she didn't want to tell him until she figured it out herself. But it was too late to go back.

"It happened during that LA mission you sent Jace, Clary and I - "

"Who even is this guy Iz? What family does he come from?"

"Alec, if you would just listen to the rest - "

"There will have to be a wedding," Alec interrupted, his mind rolling a million miles per minute as he tried to plan the future. He was picking up a frantic edge, and when Izzy opened her eyes, she saw that he had gotten up from the couch and started paced, one hand running through his hair and the other clenched tightly at his side. "We can have it here at the Institute, and Brother Zachariah can officiate - "

"ALEC!" Izzy shouted, cutting off the wedding bells. Alec looked at his sister with wide, confused eyes. "I am not getting married."

"You have to, Izzy. It's tradition. It's how things are done."

"Tradition for Shadowhunters," Izzy pointed out, furthering Alec's confusion.

"Yeah, Iz. We're Shadowhunters."

"But the father isn't."

Heavy silence passed between them as the second bomb settled. Alec opened his mouth, closed it, furrowed his brow, then asked, "How is that even possible?" He probably thought Izzy was fucking with him. She didn't blame him for that assumption. "We aren't compatible with mundanes...please don't tell me this is Meliorn's baby."

It was rare that Shadowhunters and Downworlders were compatible - the only ones capable of reproducing were Seelies and Werewolves after all - but not unheard of. Helen Blackthorne was a notorious exception to that rule, her pointed ears and runes making a statement at the halls of her Institute.

Izzy rolled her eyes. "No, it's not. He lives here, remember. Besides, I haven't seen him in months."

"So what, the father is some renegade werewolf from the west coast?" Alec asked, too far out of his depth. He looked seconds away from pulling out his hair. "You have to give me something Iz. You're scaring me."

"The father is not a Downworlder, and they're not a Shadowhunter," Izzy said point blank, taking all options off the table. "He's Lucifer Morningstar."

Alec scowled. "Can you please be serious about this?"

"I am!" Izzy snapped, pulling at her hair. It was hard enough to come to grips with the truth on her own, but having her brother doubt her just made Izzy feel all the more crazy.

"So you're saying that you had an affair with _the Devil himself,_ and this child is the antichrist?" Alec asked, deadpan, his face unreadable as he shook his head and looked away. "If what you're telling me is true, then I have to report this to the Clave."

"Alec no, please," Izzy begged, rushing forward to take Alec's hands in her own. "You can't, okay. You know what they'll do."

"I don't see how I can't," Alec countered, looking like this was splitting his conscience in two. "If the Devil really is out and about and...procreating...then that is a huge security concern. Everyone could be in danger. I mean, I don't understand how our security scanners haven't picked up his presence already - "

"He told me he struck some kind of deal with the LA Institute."

"They _know_," Alec said, dumbstruck. "The Devil is walking the streets of LA and the Institute_ knows_. Why haven't I heard anything - ?"

"He's really not as scary as you think, Alec," Izzy assured, trying to make this sound like no big deal. "Trust me, you have nothing to worry about."

"I have everything to worry about!" Alec exclaimed, finally losing his cool. "My little sister is pregnant, by the greatest force of evil this world has ever known no less, and now she's telling me to cover it up! How am I supposed to be okay with that?"

"Because this is my decision, not yours," Izzy stood her ground firmly, not giving Alec a choice. "I get to choose what happens with my body and my baby, the father be damned. I know this is scary, and everything feels uncertain, but I won't have you taking my choice away from me. I can handle myself, I can handle what happens, and I can handle the Devil. Okay?"

Maybe Izzy was exaggerating. Maybe she didn't really have things handled completely, but she had more figured out than she had this morning. She had Lucifer's blessing. She had more figured out than her brother. She could roll with the punches as they came. She didn't need to be quarantined and poked and prodded by the Clave for her own 'protection'. Alec may not see things her way, but if he loved her, he would respect her wishes like she knew he would.

"Fine," Alec grumbled, though he seemed less than fine with things.

"If Lucifer decides to do something that puts our world or anyone else's in danger, then we can talk about alerting the Clave. But for right now, I have things under control. So can you please just...I don't know...hug me and tell me that you love me?"

Izzy never asked for sentimental things like that, but in this moment, after this very difficult conversation and even more difficult day, it was what she needed.

Alec nodded and opened his arms, letting Izzy fall into him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, letting Izzy know that, for now, she was safe.

"I love you, Izzy. Nothing will ever change that."

"Love you too big brother."

They stayed like that for a while, Alec holding Izzy for as long as she wanted, until the last glimmers of daylight were bleeding through the window.

"Jace and Clary will want to know what's going on at some point," Alec sighed into Izzy's hair.

Izzy was ashamed to admit that she hadn't even thought of telling either Clary or Jace. She had been so worried about what Alec might think that they had slipped her mind. Maybe because she knew, deep down, that Clary would be supportive, excited even, and Jace would be the polar opposite but Clary would mellow him in time. The two of them were always so easy to predict. It was Alec who was unreadable, and Alec who could sway the group into siding one way or another. Now that Alec was somewhat onboard with the baby situation, telling Jace and Clary would be easier.

"I know," Izzy said, her voice muffled by Alec's strong chest. "Just...not now. Later. I promise."

Alec nodded, and Izzy could feel where the cut of his jaw rubbed against her head. He didn't fight her on it, and Izzy considered that a blessing.

"So, what now?"

That was a good question, one Izzy really hadn't thought about until now. Normally she tell Alec to take her back to the Institute and she would take the night to decompress and awake ready to tackle the problem in the morning. Now, the Institute wasn't an option. Which, she supposed, was a good place to start.

"Do you mind getting my stuff from the Institute?"

Alec cocked his head. "Why?"

"Turns out all the weird stuff that's been happening to me are side effects of a slightly demonic pregnancy," Izzy said, glossing over the nitty gritty details of protective angel feathers, at least for right now. No need to overwhelm Alec more than he already was. "Lucifer explained it better, but eventually I won't be able to enter angelic places, including the Institute. Magnus said that it would be okay if I stayed here...with you."

"We would be happy to have you," Magnus said, returning to the living room sans bowl of cat food. He wore a satisfied smile, leaning up against the wall as he studied the siblings. "Isn't that right, Alexander?"

"Of course," Alec agreed, nodding once. "You can stay as long as you need."

That was the end of that. Alec went to grab his jacket so he could trek back to the Institute, leaving Izzy with Magnus.

"Now that all that nastiness is dealt with, how about dinner?" Magnus suggested, flourishing his hands as if to create another portal. "I know a lovely place in India that serves the best lamb biryani."

"Thanks, Magnus, but I've had my fill of portals for the day."

Magnus hummed thoughtfully in agreement. "Hmm probably for the best. What about dining in? Take out? Or we could - "

"I appreciate it, really, but I think all I want to do is lie down and go to bed."

Izzy felt weary all the way down to her bones. She was surprised she'd stayed awake and functional for this long. She could feel her eyelids drooping, her body slowing, her energy leaving her. The bed in the guest room was calling her name, beckoning her to the silk sheets and downy pillows.

"It has been an eventful day," Magnus said, placing a hand on Izzy's shoulder, comforting. He smiled. "Go on. I'll tell Alec that you turned in early. He can leave your things by the door."

Now it was Izzy's turn to hug Magnus. Unlike her brother, Magnus was a willing participant.

"Thank you. For everything," she said, her voice muffled by Magnus' clothes.

"Think nothing of it," Magnus replied, pulling away and steering Izzy in the bedroom's direction. "Now, get some sleep."

Izzy did not have to be told twice.

She closed the bedroom door behind her, kicked off her boots, and was out as soon as she hit the mattress.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hello loves! Lucifer is back in this one! There are references to Good Omens because I'm trash and a huge Neil Gaiman fan and he wrote both so sue me (but this isn't a Good Omens crossover too...unless y'all...want that...) XOXOX

* * *

Devil in the Details

Izzy woke up to the smell of pancakes.

Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she had not eaten since...well...she didn't remember. Most food turned to sludge in her mouth, repulsive and vile. This was the first time in a while something actually smelled good. It made her mouth water, her stomach cramping painfully as she let it lead her to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Magnus stood at the stove flipping pancakes on a skillet the old fashioned way, no magic making things move or appear from thin air. Alec sat at the breakfast bar, watching Magnus with a carefree smile on his face. His hair was sticking up a million different directions, the slightest hint of a bruise peeking out from his tee shirt collar. Izzy filed that knowledge away to taunt Alec with later.

Right now, pancakes.

"Ah, there she is," Magnus greeted as Izzy slid into the seat next to Alec. "Sleep well?"

"I think that is the comfiest mattress I've ever laid on," Izzy said, rolling her shoulder and finding that there was nothing to pop, no tension to relieve like after spending a night on the bricks the Institute called mattresses.

"Glad to hear it," Magnus replied, genuinely pleased. Izzy felt her heart warm, some lingering worries of her being a burden on Magnus fading away. It was weird having someone outside her immediate family care for her, though Magnus had been around so much lately she was beginning to think of him as family. And maybe one day, if the look Alec kept giving Magnus when he thought he wasn't looking was anything to go off of, Magnus would be. "Now, the serious matter of business: how many pancakes?"

"Two, please," Izzy said. One didn't sound enough to satisfy the rumbling in her empty stomach, but she didn't want to push herself either if it all ended up in the toilet later.

"You're looking better this morning," Alec commented offhandedly, watching Izzy cut into her stack of pancakes.

"I feel better," Izzy replied, relieved that the pancakes were settling in her stomach instead of churning it. "I think now that I know what's going on, I feel a lot less stressed."

"Well, that makes one of us," Alec said under his breath. There were worry lines carved into his forehead, and dark circles under his eyes. Clearly he had been up most of the night stressing. From the look Magnus was giving him, Izzy could tell that Magnus was the one who had dealt with most of it.

"Hey, I told you I would handle it."

"Yeah, handle Lucifer himself all on your own. Easy."

"I think you are being a bit too harsh on Lucifer," Magnus said as he garnished his pancakes with fresh fruit. "He's not as bad as you think. He raised me during my formative years, and look how I turned out."

Alec choked on his orange juice. "_What_?"

"You have to know, Alexander, that for a long time I had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. My mother took her own life because of me. Self-defense or not, I murdered my step father. The people in my village turned their backs on me. So, when a man with eyes like mine who called himself my father approached me and asked me to go with him, I didn't hesitate."

"Your father?"

The air around them was thick. Alec's eyes were trained on Magnus, taking in every little movement.

Magnus bit down on his bottom lip, deliberating. He took a deep breath.

"Asmodeus."

Izzy thought Alec was going to shatter his glass he was holding it so tight. She, herself, felt a pang of terror at hearing the name. There were certain demons she had been taught to destroy, to think of as less than dirt. And there were certain demons she was taught to fear, to even revere. Asmodeous, a Prince of Hell, a Greater Demon, was one of those.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Alec asked, his voice more hurt than anything.

Magnus looked away, ashamed. It was the first time Izzy saw Magnus doubt himself. She didn't even that confident Magnus Bane was capable of looking like that.

"I didn't want you to think any less of me because of who my father was."

Alec stood up and walked into the kitchen. He took Magnus' hands in his, making sure Magnus was looking right at him.

"Magnus Bane, you are generous and kind and good," Alec said with conviction enough for the both of them. "You are the furthest thing from a Greater Demon."

Magnus' returning smile was grateful, but some doubt still lingered. This was something that Magnus had carried for a long time. Now that the nerve had been struck, it was going to be raw.

Izzy wondered, briefly, if that was how her child would be treated. Would they constantly live under the shadow of their father, be subject to his legacy of darkness and destruction, be branded a monster with fear of rejection should anyone find out the truth? It was a highly possible outcome, one that she did not like nor want. But there would be no way to shelter her child from all the prejudice of the world. She could only hope to raise her child as strong and as sure as Magnus Bane. Maybe then they would stand a fighting chance.

"You can only imagine how poor a father a greater demon can be," Magnus said. He tried to put some levity into it, but the hurt was too fresh. He moved away from Alec and focused his attention on the pancake batter, finding it easier to talk to. "Asmodeus wasn't very enthusiastic about raising a child. Not in the way he should have been. He only saw me for my magic, and what that magic could provide for him. If Lucifer hadn't stepped in and taken me under his wing...I don't think I would have survived my years in Hell."

"So, Lucifer wins Father of the Year?" Alec joked dryly.

"I wouldn't go that far," Magnus said with a roll of his eyes, grateful to be steering the conversation away from himself. "He definitely has his vices. I hadn't seen him in a while though. When Izzy and I went to visit, he seemed different, somehow. More human..."

"Human? How is that possible?"

"Lucifer has always enjoyed spending time on Earth with humans. He seems to have taken an extended vacation this time. Who knows how long he's really been in LA. Perhaps humanity is rubbing off on him," Magnus guessed, though it was clear he didn't really know more than either Alec or Izzy. "Either way, I think Lucifer is the least of our worries."

"Then what should I worry about?" Alec asked, stabbing at his pancakes.

"Nothing, preferably," Magnus said, cutting Alec a pointed look, to which Alec merely frowned. It was impossible to turn off Alec's protective instincts completely. He was just wired to be a neurotic, overbearing older brother. "But if I were you, Isabelle, I would be worried about bringing a child like this into a society like the Clave."

"We can't keep this a secret for forever," Alec agreed, his frown deepening. "Lucifer may have ways of diverting Clave attention, and he may have given you protection temporarily, but this baby won't once it's born. The Clave will notice."

"So what? I get married? Say the baby is half Seelie or something?" Izzy asked, throwing back old arguments that she knew wouldn't work. "I don't want to be hiding, or running, my whole life."

There was something else she hadn't thought about, something she hadn't taken into consideration: that she may not have a choice at all. Running, hiding, those may well be her only options when bringing a half-devil baby into a Clave-run world. When she made the decision to keep the baby, she was only thinking about the there and now, not about what came after. Her future used to be so sure, so stable. Now, it was a black voice of uncertainty.

"Can we just...not talk about this right now?" Izzy asked, feeling overwhelmed. Any more stress and she might start crying, which would be beyond mortifying. "Tell me about the Institute."

"It's fine, Iz," Alec replied, finding it easy enough to shift back into business. "Jace and Clary asked after you last night when I went to get your stuff, but I told them you weren't feeling well and that Magnus was putting you under house arrest here. That excuse won't last long though. You need to come up with a better cover story before they break down the doors."

"They break my doors, they reap the consequences," Magnus warned, only half-joking.

"I know," Izzy sighed, rubbing at her temples. Her stomach started to turn, but she tamped it down, the unsettling feeling more from nerves than nausea. "Tell Clary I'll explain everything soon, but I want her to take over as Weapons Master."

Alec arched a brow, surprised. "You sure you want Clary in that position? Jace has more experience."

"I'm sure," Izzy said. "Jace may have more experience with weapons, but he'd rather spar with them than catalog them. Besides, taking that position will get Clary off the field, and I just - "

"You just what?"

"Those shadow demons, _wraiths_, they were coming after me," Izzy said, guilt washing over her. She was horrified to feel tears wetting the corners of her eyes. It was so hard to keep everything in check, especially when she felt everything so strongly and so suddenly. "They were after me, and Clary was the one who got hurt. She nearly died because of me. I won't let that happen again, not if I can protect her."

"Iz, that's not your fault," Alec said, trying to comfort her. "Clary is a trained Shadowhunter. She can protect herself."

"You weren't there Alec. You didn't see what I saw," Izzy countered, firm in her position. "Jace is the more seasoned warrior. He should stay in the field. Clary should take the Weapon's Master position."

"I think that's a wise decision," Magnus cut in before Alec could open his mouth to protest further. Alec cut Magnus a look, a battle of wills passing between boyfriends before Alec eventually lost. It was satisfying to watch seeing as though Izzy and Jace spent their whole lives losing to Alec in the same battle.

"Alright, I'll let Clary know," Alec gave in, not happy about it. He and Clary's relationship had come a long way since they first met, but every once in a while Alec held reservations about their latest team member. Izzy didn't blame him. Clary was known to fly off the handle, protocol be damned, and it usually came back to bite Alec in the ass. Putting her in a position of power was a huge risk. Izzy hoped she didn't choose wrong.

"Now, with that settled, let's finish breakfast," Magnus said, gesturing back to the counter where a whole new stack of pancakes had materialized, golden and steaming.

Izzy's mouth watered, morning sickness officially a thing of the past.

* * *

Across the world in LA, a demon walked into a bar to meet the Devil.

"You look like shit," the demon said as she sauntered into the room, all eyes turning to her and her all-leather ensemble. She didn't mind the staring; in fact, she welcomed it.

"Thank you, Maze," Lucifer groaned into his drink, hunched miserably over the bar as had been for the past two hours. It was his bar. He could stay there however long he liked. However long he liked may be another drink...or ten. "Just what I needed to hear during this very trying time."

"Okay, what's going on with you?" Maze demanded, leaning her whole body across the bar so that Lucifer could not look away from her. "You're skulking around like a pathetic mortal."

That was an understatement. Lucifer had been fine with the news of impending fatherhood when Miss Lightwood was around. It was after she had left, when he had nothing but his penthouse, a wall full of liquor, and his thoughts when the reality of the situation settled in.

He didn't have what it took to be a father! He could barely keep himself alive half the time. And that was when he wasn't being chased by murderous criminals down the worst streets of the city.

The only thing that kept him sane was that Isabelle Lightwood seemed like a very intelligent young woman prepared to tackle anything thrown her way. She didn't want his help, didn't want any hands to hold. Just like a good Shadowhunter. Lucifer only hoped that she could handle what was to come, both mortal and divine. The possibilities made it hard for Lucifer to sleep last night. As much as he loathed children, as much as he protested having one of his own his entire existence, the thought of something terrible happening to Isabelle or their unborn child was...not pleasant. It made his insides curl and his blood run hot, familiar fire streaking across his skin, bringing out the Devil inside.

Lucifer swallowed the rest of his glass of whiskey, slamming it on the bar. The bartender looked his way but didn't intervene. Maybe Lucifer needed to hire someone who wasn't so damn nosy.

"I am going to be a father."

"No way! You?" Maze cackled, far too entertained by this for Lucifer's liking. "You're screwing with me."

"Unfortunately no. I received the news firsthand. Quite literally dropped on my doorstep," Lucifer replied, reaching over the bar to grab the bottle of whiskey and pour himself a new glass. Maze grabbed a glass, pushing it Lucifer's way so he could pour her one as well. The irony that Maze used to be the one who poured his drinks was not lost on Lucifer. The minx really had grown quite impertinent. "Oh, Magnus came by. He sends his love. Well, he didn't say love. It was more like begrudging tolerance."

"Sounds about right," Maze said, accepting this. She slid off the bar and down onto the seat beside Lucifer's. "Well you should be an old pro at this by now. It isn't the first time you've knocked someone up."

"No, no, that other time doesn't count. I was tricked into that," Lucifer negated, thinking back to an airbase in the English countryside and how he was so rudely told off by a boy of no older than ten. "How old is that brat now anyway?"

"Thirty-nine," Maze said matter-of-factly, a smug smile on her face. "I send him a birthday card every year."

And Lucifer thought Maze had stopped surprising him. "I didn't know you cared."

"I don't. But the way that kid eviscerated you with nothing but words...respect," Maze said, actual admiration in her eyes. "You know, he's still like that. Being a contrary little shit must run in the family. I hope that the new kid takes after its mom."

"That makes two of us. Nothing good ever comes from having me around," Lucifer said, the misery settling back in as he took a drink from his glass. He would need at least another bottle and half before he got something out of it.

Maze scoffed and rolled her eyes, pushing herself up from the bar. "I did not sign up to have a front row seat to your pity party."

"Yes, well, feel free to leave," Lucifer waved towards the elevator. He wasn't in the mood for company anymore anyway.

"I _cannot wait_ to tell Decker."

"The Detective is not to know," Lucifer warned, a dangerous edge to his voice. He stood up to full height, pulling in his menacing King of Hell aura, eyes going a little bit red to make sure Maze got the point. "Do you hear me, Mazikeen?_ Chloe cannot know_."

"Chloe can't know what?"

The Detective's voice hit Lucifer like a bucket of cold water. He nearly swallowed his tongue swallowing it, quickly stepping away from Maze and turning to greet his partner who strode purposefully up to the bar. He smiled his most winning smile.

"Detective! What brings you by at this unexpected hour?"

"I told you I wanted to run through some more leads on the cathedral case," she replied.

Lucifer fought back a groan. Of course she would still be sniffing down the Nephilim trail. No matter how many crime scenes he had to ruin or wild goose chases he had to lead her down, the Detective would not take a hint and leave the 'abandoned' cathedral alone. Just his luck.

"But now I hear you're keeping secrets from me?" Chloe asked, cocking her head and fixing Lucifer with a suspicious look.

Maze's grin turned wide and feral. "I'll leave you two to it. See ya, Decker."

Chloe nodded her goodbye, Lucifer watching Maze sashay away with a spring in her step. Nothing brought her a better mood than watching Lucifer struggle. Damn, good for nothing, loyal to nothing demons.

"What's going on Lucifer? What aren't you telling me?"

"It's nothing, Detective. Nothing important, I promise," Lucifer said, feeling his heart rate spike at the lie. No, not a lie. He never lied, especially not to Chloe. This wasn't important to her, not like this case was. Lucifer smoothed down his jacket and tried again. "It's actually rather private. Not my place to tell."

"Alright, I trust you," Chloe said, though the look on her face let Lucifer know that she was not likely to drop it any time soon...just like this damned case. "You know I'm here for you, right?"

"I know. The feeling is mutual."

"Good." Chloe nodded, the personal matters settled. "Now, can we please talk about this case? You've been avoiding it for weeks."

"Must we?" Lucifer complained. He might actually prefer talking about his up and coming fatherhood. "It's just, this case is so _boring_."

"Only you would think the possibility of a violent, underground cult hiding out in an abandoned church is boring."

"That's one way of putting it," Lucifer said under his breath. A violent, underground religion of highly skilled warriors who had it out for him was a better way of putting it. "I really think we're grasping at straws here. Aren't there any good murders? Any drug lords that got a little too trigger happy, hmm?"

"You didn't read my texts, did you?" Chloe asked, deadpan.

"No, I haven't looked at the bugger all day. Linda says I'm too attached to it, recommended living a more present lifestyle."

"If you had read my texts, you would know that they found a body," Chloe said, smug and self-satisfied like she got every time she proved Lucifer wrong. "The vic was young, male, and get this: tattoos all over. Just like the ones the eyewitnesses claim to see coming from the area surrounding the church."

How a coroner even got their hands on a Nephilim body was beyond Lucifer. They were a very reclusive race; secrecy was of the utmost prerogative. There was something wrong here. Very wrong. And it set Lucifer on edge that Chloe was running headfirst into it.

"Detective, I really think - "

"Lucifer, I'm not wrong about this one," Chloe cut him off, her nerves fraying. Lucifer knew she could only take so much of his lip, regardless of whether or not he was right. And it wasn't like she would believe him if he told her why she was wrong. "Now let's get going."

_Damn Nephilim_, Lucifer cursed as he followed his Detective into danger. They were going to be the death of him.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. COVID hit and I work in a hospital so it's been a non-stop shit show. I can't promise when I'll update after this, just that this story isn't abandoned and will come together slowly but surely. Thank you for your patience and readership XOXOX

* * *

Devil in the Details

"So, what are we looking at?"

Dan lifted the yellow tape as Chloe and Lucifer walked onto the crime scene, this time in the middle of a generic alleyway. Lucifer was almost relieved the LA Institute was nowhere in sight. That meant there was still time to sneak out unseen, though that was just wishful thinking at this point. Some Nephilim had activated their super stealth or super hearing or whatever bullshit runes Raziel had gifted them with this millennia to report the Detective's every move. The thought was unnerving, making Lucifer swivel like a bobblehead as he tried to scope out all possible fields of vision.

Dan shot Lucifer a look - something along the lines of, _dude what the hell is up with your head?_ \- but Chloe remained focused on the case.

"Male vic, around nineteen years old going off of dental prints, same tattoos as the ones associated with the church gang we've been following."

The douche rattled off the facts in his usual, boring manner. Without flair or pizazz or any kind of engaging story telling finesse. Honestly, how did this man think he could build a career in stand up with a delivery like that? One of these days Lucifer was going to sit Dan down, have a heart to heart, maybe bring in his good friend Kevin Hart to give Dan a few tips before crushing his dreams. Kevin did owe Lucifer a favor after he launched the man's career one night in -

"Do we have a name?"

Ah yes, the case. How dreary. Why had Lucifer agreed to sit idly by and let the Detective walk into this death trap again?

"No record of this guy anywhere. He's a ghost."

And they never would find a record. The fact that the body lingered long enough to draw mundane attention was odd enough. What exactly was going on at the Institute that had the Nephilim so neglectful of their fallen?

"Cause of death?"

Chloe and Dan started talking, but their voices faded into the background as Lucifer's world narrowed down to the corpse on the ground.

Perhaps, once upon a time, the corpse could have been a Nephilim. There simply was not enough of his person in tact to tell. In fact, the only identifiable things on this corpse were the runes that snaked up the arms and over the chest. All other flesh was ripped from the bone, the gut disemboweled, the face smashed in. This was a level of brutality Lucifer had only witnessed one other place.

No.

Not possible.

"Not sure," Ella chimed in, coming over with a fresh pair of gloves and that gleam in her eye she only got around particularly good murders. "See these here - " Ella pointed to a particularly grisly set of cuts near the man's throat. " - looks like he got mauled by an animal. Maybe a mountain lion? Honestly, the flesh is too torn up to get a good picture."

"I don't think mauling quite covers what this poor Nephilim endured." Lucifer could not tear his eyes away from the lacerations, far too familiar and even more haunting in their implication. "Eviscerated is more like it. Completely torn apart..."

"Nephi-what?"

"Hmmm?"

"You just called our vic a nephew-something-or-other." The Detective's eyebrows furrowed with suspicion. "Lucifer, would you mind talking in private for a sec?"

Lucifer followed Chloe like a good dog, heeling when she stopped at the end of alley, far away from prying ears...though not Nephilim ones. Lucifer still wasn't convinced they weren't being spied on. He started checking the rooftops again.

"Do you know something about this case that you aren't telling me?"

Lucifer snapped his head back down to eye-level. "Of course not, Detective."

"You didn't want me to take the case. You were adamant it was going to be a waste of my time. A bore. And now you are acting strange...er than usual." Chloe took a step closer. Despite the aromas of death and exposed flesh, Lucifer could still smell the perfume the detective loved, hints of her burnt toast breakfast, and the clean scent of her shampoo. Absolutely mesmerizing. "What is it? Do these people have something on you? Are you in some kind of trouble? Because you know I can help you if you asked - "

"I know, Detective. And I appreciate the gesture of good will, but I am not in any kind of trouble with your unfortunate victim nor his fictitious cult. I am simply...disturbed by the series of events."

"Disturbed? You? I didn't think that was possible." Chloe snorted in disbelief. To be fair, there was very little that disturbed Lucifer, but seeing Hell-specific torture techniques pop up in unsuspecting LA alleyways was one of them. Maybe disturbed was the wrong word. It was more a mix of outrage, indignation, sickness, and sympathy. But Lucifer was bad at processing his emotions on a good day; this specific cocktail of feelings he would have to save for his next session with Linda.

"Okay, so if you aren't in trouble, tell me this," Chloe said, startling Lucifer. He was so lost in planning his therapy that he forgot she was there. "That word you used to describe the victim...what does it mean?"

Lucifer pinched the bridge of his nose. He was toeing a fine line between the divine and mortal. The Nephilim were secretive for a reason; he doubted they would appreciate their secrets being divulged to an over-eager LAPD detective. And the last thing Lucifer wanted was to jeopardize the sweet deal he had going on with the LA Institute.

However, a pissed-off Detective was even more daunting a foe than a pissed off Shadowhunter.

"Nephilim," Lucifer repeated the word slowly so that Chloe could commit it to memory. "The children of angels, or rather these days, one angel. The Angel of Mysteries, Raziel. Or, as I call him, Razzie. Though mostly it's just to get a rise out of him. He really is the most irritable of my siblings, not a funny bone in his body - "

"Are you saying that your brother is a cult leader."

"I suppose that's one way of putting it."

The vein in Chloe's temple bulged. "Lucifer, I don't have time for your games."

"I assure you, Detective, I am not playing any games. Far from it, actually."

For a moment, all the partners did was stare at one another like they were about to draw pistols and shoot. Lucifer always said his hair trigger would be the ruin of him. Thankfully, the Detective folded. Literally. Her arms crossed over her chest, her expression no-nonsense, which meant she had chosen to entertain him. "So, what...these people are like you?"

"Like me?"

There was _no one_ like him, and Lucifer was about to say so, but the Detective beat him to the punch

"Completely delusional," she said, bowling right over Lucifer's offended face. "Convinced that somehow they are part angel."

"For the record, I _was_ an angel, thank you very much. No 'part' about it."

"Of course you were." The Detective's patience was growing thin, Lucifer could tell. She tipped her head back and her hair caught the light of the sun, the gold shining brighter than any halo. Even irritated and rude, she managed to be the most beautiful creature Lucifer had ever seen. "Are they violent?"

"Oh, extremely. Raziel prides himself on the exemplary actions of his warrior progeny. It's all he used to talk about at family dinners."

Chloe looked like she had a million different things she wanted to say, but refrained from doing anything except shake her head. Really, this would all go much smoother if she would just open her mind and believe that Lucifer was, indeed, the Devil. But, alas, today did not appear to be the day she saw sense. Which was a shame, because if she knew the true danger the body on the ground posed, she would run far, far away.

"Any enemies?"

"Only the collective demonic hordes of Hell," Lucifer replied chipperly, a wide grin on his face. Sometimes the Detective's obliviousness could prove fun to play with.

"Right..." Chloe turned away from Lucifer and walked five steps down the alley. Little did she know, Lucifer's hearing was also demonic. He could hear her say into her cellphone, "Dan, put an APB out on a man named Raziel. With that name, there can't be more than one. I think he's some sort of cult leader. And be careful. He's violent."

Violent didn't even begin to cover Raziel, but Lucifer let it be. Better to leave the Detective out of the loop on further dangerous secrets. At least until he caught and dealt with LA's new 'mountain lion' problem.

The Detective seemed bent on chasing this lead down to the bitter, nasty end. Lucifer only hoped that he could protect her before she wound up just like the Nephilim.

What better way to protect Chloe from his least favorite nieces and nephews than to pay them a visit?

* * *

Across the world in New York City, breakfast had just ended at the Bane household.

With a flick of his wrist, Magnus banished all the dirty dishes to clean themselves in the kitchen. It was a neat trick, one Izzy would use and abuse, grateful not to have to stand on her feet long enough to clean all those plates covered in sticky syrup. Her belly was full and settled for the first time in weeks. If she looked close enough, she could even poke at the swollen beginnings of her bump...though that could just as easily have been the five pancakes she wolfed down like a dying woman.

Alec rolled his eyes fondly as she flopped down on Magnus' couch.

"So, off to work?"

"The Institute calls." Alec toed on his combat boots and knotted the laces. "I have a busy day ahead of me if I'm promoting a brand new Weapon's Master. Underhill will love handling the last minute orientation."

"Just so long as orientation is the only thing Underhill is loving," Magnus teased a warning...or at least it seemed like he was teasing. Izzy had a brief image of Underhill spending the rest of his days as a golden shepherd, and grinned to herself.

Eye rolling must have been Alec's choice of communication for the day, because that's the only response he gave Magnus. That, and a kiss. Honestly, it was so cute Izzy thought her insides would melt.

"Be safe," Magnus said when they parted.

"I'll be home tonight," Alec promised, then turned to Izzy. "Both of you behave while I'm gone."

"Who? Us?" Izzy teased, which earned her a narrowing of Alec's eyes. She was one step away from that dreaded eye roll. "I promise we will be perfect angels."

"I make no such promises," Magnus countered, unapologetic. "I've got four clients today, and one of them is bound to get...messy."

Alec wrinkled his nose. "The Seelie?"

"The Seelie," Magnus replied gravely. Alec's expression turned sympathetic. Izzy was suddenly curious to meet this mysterious Seelie.

Magnus walked Alec to the foyer. Alec opened the door.

On the opposite side stood Jace and Clary.


End file.
